Previously we had a poll on what wine you keep in your cellar. I would be interested in having forum members list the names of three to six wineries or winemakers that they try to keep in stock. More than six could get tedious. My list would include Ridge, the Cotats in Sancerre, Herve Arlaud in Burgundy, Eric Ross Zinfandel, and Baroja from the
Rioja. These range in price from very reasonable ($8.99 for the basic Baroja Rioja Seleccion on sale) to $50 and upward for Premier Cru
red Burgundy from Arlaud.

And there' a bunch more that cycles in and out, but wine is a moveable feast for me. I try, I buy, I drink, and the cycle starts all over again. I seem to have my phases and preferences, but I have very, very few "go-to" wines ... more like "go-to" styles and varieties which I find in many different places. And nothing really lies around for more than a year unless I've simply lost sight of it.

I don't know if I'm to the point where I could really list six winemakers that I absolutely had to own. But regionally-speaking my priority is always having German riesling, Loire chenin, red burgundy, and Northern Rhone syrah.

Arguments could be made for various add-ons, but that would have to be my core.

I always try to have a few burgundies from Rene LeClerc, some Valpolicella from Allegrini, some SB from Fournier (preferably Menetou-Salon, 'cause I'm cheap), some Chateau D'Orschquir from my main man Hubert Hartmann (his pinot blanc is great), and always, always a bottle or two of Pol Roget NV.

Jean-Jacques Confuron - Romanee-St.-Vivant (only when I can afford it), N-S-G Aux Boudots, Chambolle-Musigny 1ers and the occasional Clos Vougeot - always in low quantity due to cost and from the better years since 1993

Leoville Las Cases - mainly back vintages on the secondary market where much lower prices make the provenance issue somewhat easier to stomach

Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling (Clos St. Hune would be included here a few years ago but the prices here are now through the freakin' roof)

Fritz Haag

Zilliken (don't see them much here these days - usually fantastic QPR)

Jean-Jacques Confuron - Romanee-St.-Vivant (only when I can afford it), N-S-G Aux Boudots, Chambolle-Musigny 1ers and the occasional Clos Vougeot - always in low quantity due to cost and from the better years since 1993

Leoville Las Cases - mainly back vintages on the secondary market where much lower prices make the provenance issue somewhat easier to stomach

Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling (Clos St. Hune would be included here a few years ago but the prices here are now through the freakin' roof)

Fritz Haag

Zilliken (don't see them much here these days - usually fantastic QPR)

Maximin Grunhaus (been collecting the numbered Auslese since 1994)

Hermann Donhoff (love this maker's Rieslings)

Holy Toledo's, I'm way over the six! I'll stop now.

David
If those aussies were easy to get hold of in UK, then I suspect some of the rieslings and semillons would be in there for me. Do you see much of the Tyrrells Stevens vineyard Semillon? I saw (and bought) the 97 which is impressive, but don't think I've seen it since. McWilliams are also pretty difficult to procure, so no Lovedale or Elizabeth I can recall seeing. At least the Grossets seem to be appearing regularly now.
regards
Ian

JoePerry wrote:Is it just me, or have I heard more about Chevillon in the past six months than in the past five years?

I've got one of his NSG 1er cru, but I don't think I've tasted any as yet...

Dunno. I started buying them with the '96 vintage, the first vintage I could afford 1er Cru Burgundies, and have since back-filled to '93. So they've been a staple for me for quite a while.

Skipped '97 and '00, and now '03, but otherwise I have bought at least some every year. However, with my second child starting private school next year, fine Burgundies aren't exactly on my shopping list right now. Perhaps I'll be back in the game for the release of the '24 vintage.